


Together

by HeyGoodLookin



Category: Outer Banks (TV)
Genre: Feelings, Gen, Kie tries to do the right thing, Slow Burn, but also a lot of drama, but also minor fluff, oooof, season two prediction?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-01
Updated: 2020-06-01
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24485476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeyGoodLookin/pseuds/HeyGoodLookin
Summary: It took Kie all of ten seconds to realize that if it weren’t for the Pogues, JJ wouldn’t have known love and affection. Kie took it all in with blazing clarity as JJ studied her face for any trace of sympathy.Or: my attempt at a season 2 moment.
Relationships: JJ & Kiara (Outer Banks)
Kudos: 66





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Wow it's me again. Go figure.   
> Thank y'all for stopping by and reading! I hope you enjoy and let me know what ya think :)  
> Anyway, this is basically my idea of a season 2 moment.

“Do you really think it’s from them?” Kie looked down at the postcard from _Vlad and Val_.

“It’s gotta be,” said JJ confidently.

“Doesn’t say if or when they’ll be back.”

“I know,” JJ sighed. They’d been through this a thousand times over. Pope had left half an hour before, in frustration, because he didn’t agree with Kie’s idea. She wanted to hop on the next boat to find them.

“You don’t believe me, do you? That we should go.”

“Course I do,” JJ smirked. “You know I’d leave right here and now.”

“What’s stopping you?”

“Pope,” said JJ. “Whatever we do, we do together. John B always tried to keep us together. We owe it to him to try.”

“Right,” Kie shifted her weight to face JJ. They were sitting on the porch steps. “So if Pope agreed to go, you’d go.”

“Fuck yeah.”

“But because Pope is being an idiot…”

“No,” JJ looked at Kie. “Pope’s not being an idiot. Maybe he’s right and we should wait to hear something else from them. What if we leave and they’ve already left and we can’t find them? Beside the fact that they’re alive, we don’t know anything.”

“So you agree with Pope,” said Kie.

“No, I don’t. I think he’s being paranoid, but I don’t want to go without him. I don’t want John B seeing us and we’re not together.”

Kie digested his words. _Together_ meant a lot to JJ. _Together_ meant family. And right now, they weren’t much of a family. Kie’s heart ached as she looked up at JJ. Nothing made sense. The postcard didn’t make sense. Pope’s refusal to leave didn’t make sense. The pulling sensation she got whenever she was around JJ didn’t make sense. They were drifting closer together. Kie put a careful hand over JJ’s and looked up at him.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked, his jaw set and clenched.

“Doing what?”

“Being like this,” JJ gestured at the space between them. “We’ve been dancing around each other for God knows how long and it’s fucking garbage.”

“I—“

“And I know you’re with Pope, but for fuck sake’s Kie, that’s not real, is it? I mean, you don’t really like him, do you?”

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t…” Kie paused to collect herself. “I just don’t want to hurt him.”

“You’re hurting him more if you’re stringing him along,” said JJ.

“I’m not—fuck,” Kie put her face into her hands. “I just want to keep us together. You’re not the only one who wants that.”

“Lying to him and pussyfooting around me, isn’t keep us together.”

Kie took in a quivering breath. God, she didn’t want to cry. She’d cried enough over the past few months. “I know,” she exhaled shakily. “I know. I just don’t want to hurt Pope.”

“That’s a load of bullshit,” JJ spat. “I mean, really Kie. You being with him just because you feel sorry for him? That’s fucked up. And Pope? He deserves better. You know what he said to me last night? We were sitting right over there, Kie, and he looked me in the God damn eyes and asked me if you like him as much as he likes you. He wanted to know what I thought. And you know what I said? I said, I dunno, man. You know how fucked up that is?”

“Oh God…” Kie felt like she couldn’t breath.

“Tell him the truth, Kie. He deserves to…” JJ’s voice trailed off as he noticed Kie’s gasping. “Kie?” He tried to level with her. “Jesus, Kie?”

“I…I can’t…”

“Shit,” JJ tossed his blunt aside and knelt in front of her. “I’m sorry, Kie. Fuck, I’m sorry. I talk too much and I don’t think and— shit,” he cursed while trying to force Kie to look at him. “Kie? I need you to breath, okay? Can you just say something?”

“Yeah,” Kie managed.

“Okay, cool, that’s good,” JJ tried to organize his thoughts. “Breath with me, okay? Real slow.”

Slowly, Kie joined JJ’s breathing pattern. In…two, three…out…two, three. In…two, three…out…two, three.

“You’re doing great, Kie,” JJ smiled gently as Kie’s breath stabalized.

“Where did you…?”

“Pope,” JJ answered simply. “He’s done that a few times for me after…”

“Right,” Kie nodded in understand. _After your dad would beat you up and you’d have nowhere to go._

“You good?”

“Yeah,” Kie breathed. “I’m good.”

JJ sat next to her again. “Listen, I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have sent you over the edge like that.”

“You didn’t,” Kie looked over at him. “As much as I hate to admit it, JJ, sometimes you’re right. And you were totally right about Pope and… all of this.”

“I crossed the line,” said JJ.

“By telling me the truth? Dude, it’s my fault that I can’t handle the truth.”

“I shouldn’t have put that on you after everything we’ve been through,” said JJ, his voice oddly soft.

“You’re right though,” Kie tried to look away again, but JJ put a gentle hand on her face. She hadn’t realized she’d been crying until he wiped a few tears away.

“I’m still sorry,” JJ whispered.

“So am I,” said Kie. “For everything. For whatever this is between us and for leading Pope on and for your dad beating you up and me not being able to do enough for you—“

“You don’t have to apologize for my ol’ man,” JJ clenched and unclenched his jaw. “There’s nothing anybody can do about that.”

“I could have forced my parents to see reason. I could have—“

“You could have nothing, Kie.”

“I’m just sorry, okay?” Kie cried as she looked up at the bruise on JJ’s cheek. “I’m sorry that happens to you when you so much as go back for a fucking t-shirt. I’m sorry I can’t help you! I’m sorry I’m leading Pope on while there’s this _thing_ between us…” Kie stopped, realizing what she’d said. She looked up and met JJ’s eyes.

It took Kie all of ten seconds to realize that if it weren’t for the Pogues, JJ wouldn’t have known love and affection. Kie took it all in with blazing clarity as JJ studied her face for any trace of sympathy. He hated sympathy.

“Kie…” JJ stroked her cheek with his thumb. “It’s fine.”

“No it’s not, JJ. It’s not fine. What I’m doing, isn’t fine and me being scared every time you go home isn’t fine!”

“Shit,” JJ swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

JJ chuckled half heartedly. “Seriously?” He sighed. “I don’t want you worrying about me. I don’t want you dealing with my shit.”

“It’s what friends do, JJ. They look out for each other.”

“I—“ JJ noticed they were inching closer again. “I don’t need looking after.”

“JJ,” Kie blinked up at him. She could feel more tears falling. “I know you don’t like me. I get that. I mean, you flirt with everyone. Why would you—“

JJ pressed his mouth against hers and wow, Kie had never been so thrilled to be interrupted, because holy hell did it feel good. And not just good. Really good. As in, toe curling and goosebump igniting, good. She leaned into him, running her hands through his hair. Hair that had no right to be so damn soft. Kie couldn’t help but sigh as JJ’s mouth moved with teasing fragility over hers and christ, she could feel him smirk. And she wasn’t even mad. Actually, it kind of turned her on. She felt JJ’s hands go from her face to her shoulders and then separate; one going into her hair and one gripping her waist. Kie kissed him back and really, it felt like she’d never been kissed before. And maybe she hadn’t. Because nothing compared to the emotional charge of JJ’s lips working against her own. She felt JJ’s tongue brush along her lips and she jolted slightly in surprise. JJ’s eyes popped open.

“Shit,” he panted. “I’m sorry, I— _fuck.”_

“JJ…”

“Shit, this is… fuck, I’m sorry, Kie. You’re with Pope and you’re upset and…”

“JJ,” Kie put a hand on his cheek like he’d done for her early. “I’m fine.”

“But this isn’t, though,” JJ said as he pulled away from her. “This is cheating, isn’t it?”

“I like you,” Kie breathed.

JJ’s gaze softened at her words. “Damn it, Kie, I like you too. A hell of a lot. But that doesn’t change the fact that we just went behind our best friends’ back and made out.”

“I know,” Kie said weakly. She could feel tears threatening to spill over again. Damn it, when did she become such a cry baby?

“God, Kie,” JJ wrapped his arms around her. “Wanna split a joint with me and watch a Disney movie?”

“Seriously?” Kie couldn’t help but giggle into JJ’s shoulder.

“Dead serious,” he pulled back to look at her. “Listen, this can’t happen again, okay? But that doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. Until you’ve talked to Pope and we’ve got our friends back, we need to chill out.”

“Yeah,” Kie said evenly. “You’re right.”

JJ led them back into the chateau and switched the TV onto Disney plus. “You’re a pretty decent kisser, by the way.”

“Seriously?” Kie rolled her eyes as JJ smirked at her. “I dunno why girls freak out over you.”

“Are you kidding me? I’m incredibly gifted.”

“You’re pretty average, to be honest,” Kie chuckled. JJ smiled back at her.

They watched Winnie the Pooh.

And they definitely didn’t notice the fact that they were still holding hands.

**Author's Note:**

> OOOOF. (sorry, not sorry.)


End file.
